Category Archives: cupcake recipes

It was 41 years ago today that thrill-seeking patrons flocked to their nearest theaters to witness one of the most terrifying and shocking movies of the time: Jaws.

Thought to be the first summer blockbuster movie ever, Jaws became an overnight sensation. It made $7,061,513 on its opening weekend, and that was in 1975! More than 67 million Americans flocked to see this movie on the big screen, and it forever changed how production studios treated their summer releases.

Jaws spawned several sequels, a dedicated and loyal cult following, and the shark used in the film, named Bruce by director Steven Spielberg, even got honored in another movie several years later:

No summer would be complete without at least one viewing of Jaws, and to celebrate its anniversary, here is a fun treat you can serve at your movie night!

Jaws-Inspired “Bleeding” Cupcakes

Ingredients:

12 vanilla cupcakes, baked and ready to go

Raspberry or strawberry jam (I actually used lingonberry jam, so any red jam or jelly will work here)

Vanilla icing

Blue food coloring

White chocolate (or you can use fondant or paper for the fins)*

Supplies:

1M decorating tip

Knife or angled spatula

Hand-drawn template of shark fin

Disposable decorating bag

Wax paper

Toothpick (optional)

Instructions:

Bake and cool your cupcakes according to package or recipe instructions. Or, buy premade cupcakes from your local bakery. Make sure they’re completely cool before moving onto the next step.

Using the big round end of the 1M decorating tip, cut out a hole on the top of the cupcake. Just twist the tip to cut the cake and fish out the hole with your finger. You can also use a spoon or melon baller if you don’t have a large tip.

Fill the cupcake hole with jam.

Use the knife or spatula to ice your cupcakes. Move the knife up and down to create “ripples” in the icing and make it look like water.

To make the shark fins, melt white chocolate following package instructions. Place in a disposable dag or decorating bag and cut tip of bag. Position template under wax paper and trace pattern with white chocolate. Use toothpick if necessary to work chocolate into all the nooks and crannies.

Place in freezer to harden, then insert into icing on top of cupcake.

Enjoy your “bleeding” cupcakes!

*FOLLOW UP NOTE: So…here’s the thing. After about 10 minutes of making these cupcakes, my shark fins started to melt and droop. Granted my kitchen was very warm, but if you’re making these for a party where they’re going to sit out for more than a second, I suggest forgoing the white chocolate fins and using fondant or even white Air Head candies to create the fins. Wilton’s Candy Melts candy might also hold up without melting at room temperature.

Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.

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One of my all-time favorite flavor combinations is sweet and spicy…and there’s nothing that will get your taste buds in a frenzy like chili and chocolate. Spicy chocolate is a genius invention and one of my go-to guilty pleasures. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend you give it a shot. To get the full sensation, melt some dark chocolate in a double boiler. Create medallions on wax paper by spooning the chocolate on the wax paper when it’s melted. Sprinkle each medallion with a little cayenne pepper and use a toothpick to swirl the powder into the melted chocolate. Let harden and enjoy. It may not seem spicy at first, but these little guys have a kick…and will bite back!

So when I was given the task of baking some yummy treats for my bother’s fiancee’s bachelorette party, I just had to try making spicy chocolate cupcakes! What better way to top off a ladie’s night? Oh, and I did make these weenie cake pops, which I thought you might enjoy! HAHA! I mean, it was a bachelorette party!

Anyway, back to these chocolate cakes. I didn’t want the spice to be too overwhelming, so I just added it to the icing. If you want a little more heat, add it to the batter. It’s really up to you. Just remember, when it comes to cayenne pepper–a little goes a long way!

Spicy Chocolate Cakes

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 ½ cups boiling water

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Frosting:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

8 oz dark chocolate

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine boiling water and cocoa, stirring well until all the cocoa is dissolved. Let mixture cool completely.

Place sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until well blended, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and stir with a whisk until combined.

Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of one cupcake comes out clean. For these cakes, it’s best NOT to use cupcake liners, since the icing is poured onto the cool cake and hardens over time. You can place cupcakes in liners once the icing has set. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

To make icing, melt the butter in a pan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

Use a tablespoon to skim off the foam on top of the melted butter and discard. Set aside the clarified butter, also discarding the milky liquid in the bottom of the pan.

In the meantime, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Remove the chocolate from the heat and pour the clarified butter into the chocolate. Stir until smooth.

Add cayenne pepper and mix until combined. Add more to taste if the heat isn’t strong enough for you!

Let icing sit for about 5 minutes to thicken.

Place cakes on a cooling rack with a pan underneath to catch extra icing. Pour icing over cooled cakes and let sit for at least 2 hours to let icing set.

If you have extra icing, you can drizzle it over the cupcakes after the first layer sets.

Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.

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Hey everyone! First of all, I’m so sorry I’ve been absent recently! I’ve been crazy busy and haven’t had much time for blogging this past week, but I have something to make it up to you…

This past weekend was my future sister-in-law’s bridal shower…and I was in charge of the sweet table. This is part of the reason I’ve been absent…since most of my free time was spent baking! I experimented with some different flavors and techniques and, as a little treat, I’m going to share with you my recipe for pistachio cupcakes. This is a great cake to make for a bridal or baby shower.

I made little mini cupcakes, but you can easily make larger ones or even make a full cake.

I also included some stamped orange sugar cookies, which were a HUGE hit! Maybe I’ll share that recipe with you guys, too… 🙂

The shower theme colors were hot pink, green, black, and white…so I had a lot of fun with the dessert table! Here’s how it all came together:

ANYWAY, let’s get to those cupcakes, huh? Here’s a recipe that nut lovers are sure to go, well, “nuts” over!

Pistachio Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcake:

1 box white cake mix

1 package instant pistachio pudding

1 handful crushed pistachios (optional)

1 cup canola oil

3 large eggs

1 cup club soda

Frosting:

1 tub whipped frosting (white)

1/2 package instant pistachio pudding mix

2-3 drops green food coloring

1 handful crushed pistachios (optional)

Directions:

1. To make the cupcakes, place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix gently to combine. Continue to mix until everything is incorporated and you have a smooth batter. If you want your cupcakes to be a darker green, you can add some food coloring, but the pudding mix adds just enough color to make it a soft pistachio green.

2. Pour it into prepared muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

3. For the frosting, combine the frosting, pudding mix, and crushed pistachios in a bowl and mix until combined. If you want to darken your frosting, add green food coloring. I added 2 drops to get the nice green tint. Decorate to your heart’s content!

Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.

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Sometimes I dream about hosting a tea party, just so I can think of fun finger foods to make! I love the idea of people gathering in huge hats and drinking tea from tiny glass cups. The tables would be decorated with flowers and fun cucumber sandwiches as we listened to classical music in a Jane Austen style sitting room…or out in the lawn as our husbands played cricket and discussed politics. I mean, I’m not set in stone about it, but that’s a general idea of how it would go.

So to prep for my most marvelous and classy tea party that will most likely never happen as I believe it will (sigh!), I decided to make some adorable little tea cakes, using the Babycakes Cupcake Maker that my brother got for me for Christmas last year.

This awesome little machine bakes tiny cupcakes in about 5 minutes…so it’s the perfect way to test my crazy batter recipes! This time I decided to flavor up a box of yellow cake mix I had in my pantry. I added some almond extract and, voila! Adorable almond tea cakes!

Naturally you don’t have to use the Babycakes Cupcake Maker to make these sweet little things…but it does create the cutest little cakes! I topped each cake with an orange glaze and an orange peel and ate to my heart’s content…and then some.

Almond Tea Cakes

1. Mix cake mix as directed on the package, adding the extract at the end. Bake in your oven or in the Babycakes Cupcake Maker as directed on the package. Let cool completely.

2. Place powdered sugar in a bowl and add orange juice a teaspoon at a time, until your glaze is runny and pourable. Either dip your cupcakes in the glaze or pour it over all your cakes and top with a little piece of orange zest.

3. Devour…or serve eloquently with tea and lemon.

Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.

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Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a sucker for disproportionate things. Little heads with big eyes, huge heads with little bodies, giant heads with tiny eyes, anything that’s so obviously out of whack is okay by me.

So you can imagine my excitement when my sister emailed me this picture, requesting I make these cupcakes for her ASAP:

I about died. I almost fell out of my chair from laughing so hard. Seriously guys, are these not the cutest things of your life? I was so taken with these cute little owls that I just had to make them.

When Christmas finally rolled around, I decided to make these little guys for my sister’s Harry Potter themed gift. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to get to the store to buy stuff for cupcakes and frosting, so I had to make do with shortcake bowls and chocolate pudding. Here was the result:

I can’t tell you how much I was laughing when I was making these. They’re just too cute! I’m laughing right now just writing about this! Haha!

Well I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that these are so easy to make. This is also a really great way to get kids involved in cooking and baking.

Owl Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Sponge cake bowls or cupcakes

Chocolate pudding or frosting

Oreo cookies (double stuffed works best)

Reese’s Pieces

Directions:

Spoon chocolate pudding into the sponge cake bowls, or frost your cupcakes. Use a knife to mess up the pudding/frosting a little bit. You don’t want perfect swirls here, you want it to resemble feathers…so don’t worry about baking pretty! Set aside.

Embrace the inner child in you and carefully twist the Oreo cookies apart, doing your best to keep all the filling on one side. This is why double stuffed works best. Set aside the unfilled cookie for another use (or snack on them as you decorate!). Use a sharp paring knife and very lightly rub any crumbs off the white filling. You want it to be as white as you can make it!

Pour out your Reese’s Pieces and use the brown candies for the eyes and the orange ones for the beaks. Gain valuable strength and endurance by noshing on the yellow ones! Gently press the brown candies into the cream of the Oreo and place the Oreo eye balls on your pudding bowls/frosted cupcakes. To make the beak, just place the orange candy in sideways.

See how easy that is? These little owl cupcakes are great for kids birthday parties, Halloween parties, or just a fun thing to do on a rainy/snowy afternoon! Also Valentine’s Day is coming up…why not show “whoo” you love by making them a cute little batch of happy owls?

Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.

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Here’s a new cake recipe I tried last month and I simply fell in love with it! Great for Easter and upcoming spring birthdays!

Coconut cupcakes!

COCONUT CAKE CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 t baking powder

pinch of salt

3 T unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 t pure vanilla extract

1 egg

sweetened coconut for topping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and butter (weird, I know…but trust me!) in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or using a handheld electric mixer) beat on a low speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

Meanwhile whisk together the coconut milk and vanilla in a small bowl, the pour it into the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add the egg and beat well.

Divide batter between 30 paper-lined mini cupcake cups. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until light and golden and the cake bounces back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Frost with coconut frosting and sweetened coconut.

Coconut Frosting

Ingredients:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

5 T unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 T light coconut milk, plus more if needed

Directions:

Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly pour in the coconut milk. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed and continue to beat until the frosting is very light and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.

Frost the cooled cupcakes and top with coconut.

You could also toast the coconut and turn your cupcakes into little spring bird nests!

Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.

In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I’d share my most recent experiment with you. A few weeks ago I bought a bag of dried cranberries from my local Costco. The bag probably weighed as much as a small baby, so I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate these dried cranberries into my cooking. I don’t know how this idea came about, but last week I decided to try a chocolate cranberry cupcake experiment. Since I love you all so much, I’m deciding to share this with you…because not only did it produce the lightest and most delicious chocolate cake ever, but it’s easy, sweet, and a great dessert after a hearty meal for two.

Cranberry Chocolate Cupcakes

CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY CUPCAKES

1 box Devil’s Food Cake mix (plus the eggs and oil requirements on the back of the box)

Cranberry juice

1 box Baker’s White Chocolate Squares

1 TB butter

Several dried cranberries

Make the chocolate cake according to package directions, however, substitute the water for cranberry juice. Bake and let cool completely.

Combine the white chocolate and the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Cook for 30 seconds, remove and stir. Continue in 30 second intervals until the white chocolate is melted and smooth. Let sit for a few minutes.

Using a spoon, place a dollop of chocolate on your cupcake and lightly spread to cover. Decorate with dried cranberries. Let sit at room temperature until chocolate has hardened.